Motorola has started sending Android 17 beta updates to users who previously signed up for beta testing. The high-end Motorola Signature was among the first recipients, but the brand didn’t waste any time expanding availability to mid-range phones, including the Edge 70 Pro, Edge 70 Fusion, and Edge 60 Pro.
The Android 17 beta update for Motorola devices comes with a massive download size of around 5GB. But the changelog is unfortunately thin on details, as you can see in the screenshot below.
Luckily, some Motorola enthusiasts have shared on their social accounts about the new features and changes they’ve spotted after upgrading to Android 17 beta.
Here’s a quick list of changes shared by a Moto Edge 60 Pro user on Reddit:
- New Dynamic Island
- New quick tiles with the ability to change size
- New icons for Wi-Fi, cell tower, and battery
- New volume interface
- New customization options
- New settings menu
- Improved and stronger Haptics
- Phone feels warmer than usual
- Brand new Moto AI assistant named Qira
- Cloud connection via Smart Connect
- New notification management system
While this list is a good starting point, it doesn’t go very much into detail. Fortunately, a Motorola user on X (Fanboy_Moto) has shared better details along with screenshots and screen recordings, offering us a closer look at the new software.
Fanboy_Moto says the Android 17 beta update brings major improvements to the phone’s haptics, and the haptics feel very different when you swipe a notification. The status bar gets new icons, and home screen icons are tinted now. There’s also a new Classic Control Center, likely referring to the combined Notification panel with Quick Settings shortcuts.
Motorola has also brought visual and functional upgrades to Live Updates. Previously, Live Updates would appear on the left side of the status bar. Now, it has been integrated into the camera cutout in the middle, similar to Apple’s Dynamic Island. Plus, it now supports most of your day-to-day apps. See the upgraded Live Updates in action here.
Changes have also been made to the Motorola HelloUI App Drawer, as shared by Fanboy_Moto:
- No MotoAI in the search bar
- Better background blur
- Folders now have a 3×3 grid instead of 2×2
- Create folder button
- Removed app titles
- All apps are now tinted
The lock screen receives new clock faces with expanded typography and style options. Unfortunately, there’s no depth effect feature. Fanboy_Moto has posted a video on X detailing all the lock screen changes. You can watch it here.
There are quite a few smaller but meaningful changes that are worth paying attention to. It includes a faster, easier way to take screenshots and split-screen. Previously, you had to hold down three fingers on the screen to take a screenshot, which was pretty annoying. Now, it’s a three-finger swipe down gesture. You can watch the new gesture in action here.
Split screen is now a three-finger swipe-up gesture. Previously, it required swiping back and forth, which users weren’t happy about. Motorola has also fixed the issue (to some extent) where network icons would overlap. But it still needs work.
Motorola has also updated the Settings page UI, which now looks more like Pixel UI.
Fanboy_Moto has also spotted a few more features in Motorola’s Android 17 beta, including Landscape Stereo, Qira AI assistant, Enhanced HDR Brightness, and Battery health.
The Android 17 beta update is currently rolling out on a few Motorola devices, and we expect more devices to join the party as testing expands. Hopefully, the stable release won’t take much longer, as beta users are reporting that the new build is working fine without any critical issues.
Stay tuned with us for the latest updates. You can visit our Motorola section regularly or join our Telegram channel to receive instant alerts.
Comments